Okami
Physical description: The ōkamiŌkami (狼) means wolf in Japanese. are a wolf yōkai with two forms, a humanoid form and a wolf form. Though they are occasionally confused with kitsune and kumiho, they are in fact extremely different. In their humanoid form, they are almost identical to humans, with the exception of having wolf ears and tail, along with a various number of red tattoos. While the wolf form is like that of a normal wolf, the only major physical difference being that they are much larger with various number of red markings on their body. Clothing wise, they typically wear clothing similar to the Japanese Heian and Edo period. History/Origin story: Legend has it that a strong and powerful young wolf protected his pups from many dangers. But one day, when they grew sick, he could do nothing for them. So he traveled to a near by shrine of the gods to plead for their help. First he went the statue of Bayu, god of air. “Oh mighty god of breath and air! Please save them!” He wept. A breeze of wind flew into the three deathly silent pups. From their nose was a short huff, as they began to breath with ease once more. They huddled together, hoping to share one another’s warmth. Seeing that they were now cold, he went the statue of Makenna, goddess of fire. “Oh mighty goddess of warmth and comfort! Please aid them!” He cried. A small ember landed on the three shivering pups. They glowed a bright red, now no longer shivering. But now they were blackened, overheated and thirsty. Next he went to the statue of Marissa, goddess of water. “Oh mighty goddess of cooling and clensing! Please help them!” He begged. A tiny droplet of water landed on the three dehydrated pups. A blue glow washed over them, returning them to their normal furred selves, but now with various red markings. The crack in front of them filled with water, allowing the pups to quench their thirst. Yet now they whimpered in hunger. So he went to the statue of Tyrone, god of earth. “Oh mighty god of life and nature! Please rescue them!” He wailed. A baby rabbit hopped towards the pups, as it drew nearer it closed its eyes and lay still. The older wolf tore into the creature, before feeding the young ones. But as night began to set in, they clung to him in fear. So he howled to the statues of Lucine, goddesss of the moon, and Aelius, god of the sun. “Oh mighty dieties of night and day, darkness and light, guard these pups against the dangers of night and gift them sight.” A bright light ingulfed the room, and the two deities stood before him. Aelius smiled down at the wolf, “Young IzanagiIzanagi is a god in Shintoism. Husband of Izanami, father to Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu and Susanoo., ‘he who invites’, you have asked a gift from each of us. And we shall give them, but what do we gain in return?” The young wolf rose up, shocked and confused. Even so, he held his head high, for he would do whatever was needed to ensure the little ones survived. “I would gladly spend the rest of my days serving you if it meant they could live. I give you my life in return for theirs.” Lucine’s silky smooth voice rippled through the air. “We, the gods of heaven and sky, would not ask such of you. Instead, we shall gift you more. We shall make you a new. As will we do with your young ones.” She then walked towards the pups, and picked up the pup as black as night. “This one shall be named TsukuyomiTsukuyomi is the god of the moon in Shinto religion. Son of Izanagi and Izanami, brother to Amaterasu and Susanoo., meaning ‘moon reading’. He shall be the child of the moon, and my most loyal companion.” Aelius then picked up the pup as white as clouds, declaring “This young one shall be named AmaterasuAmaterasu is the goddess of the sun in Shinto religion. Daughter of Izanagi and Izanami, sister to Tsukuyomi and Susanoo. *Her familiars are cockerels, not wolves. *The name was also inspired by the wolf of the same name from the video game Ōkami., meaning ‘heaven and sky’. And she shall be the child of the sun, my precious servant.” Together they gazed upon the final pup, puzzled as what to do. This pup was a grey as early light or night. His colour in between. When Lucine smiled, she spoke their name. “This one shall be named ShiranuiShiranui or Shiranuhi is a atmospheric ghost light, much like will-o'-the-wisp or fox fire. *The name was also inspired by the wolf of the same name from the video game Ōkami., meaning ‘unknown fire’. Child of eclipses.” Izanagi blinked in confusion. With names for himself and pups, he was thrilled. But how would they serve the gods? What purpose could he and his pups serve? As if reading his mind, Aelius spoke up. “Fear not, for we are not done. Though wolves are indeed beautiful creatures. We shall make greater purpose for that might.” And with a blazing light, Izanagi’s shape began to morph. His body became that of a man, yet retained his ears and tail. A burning feeling raged over his skin as similar red markings appeared on his flesh. Once finished, Aelius continued, “Now with hands and feet, you can make better use of your strength.” “But what of my pups?” He cried. Aelius replied “When they are older, they shall be gifted this same life.” “So how will they recognise me?” He whimpered. Lucine waved her hands, returning him to a wolf. “We give you the ability to shift between these two forms. But your markings shall always shine through.” Turning back to the young ones, she added “And when they are older, they shall control this skill as well.” The wolf bowed his head, thankful for this honour. Yet still, there was one more thing he felt he must do. So he asked, he asked to be able to find his long lost pack. He wished to be able to reunite his small ones with their mother. He wished to see his family again. Lucine nodded in understanding, for wolves were loyal creature. So she then pulled out a small orb, holding to Izangi’s eyes, showing him his kin. “With this orb, you can find them. And with this orb, they can become like yourself. They will become stronger, faster, possibly even wiser.” And with that, he left to find them. They welcomed him home, accepted his offer. And with this act, the race of ōkami were truly born. Society: Ōkami are honest and furiously loyal creatures. They value honour and family above all else, even going so far as to sacrifice themselves to ensure the survival of their pack. They have sayings such as 'The lone wolf dies, but together, the pack survives' and 'The many are the pack and the pack is one'. They are believed to be used to encourage loyalty and respect in each other. There are different types of roles ōkami are known for. For the most part, they will fill one role in particular, but are known to fulfil other roles too. Aijōbukai-ōkami (affectionate/caring wolf): They are the carers or parental type, often spending most of their time with pups. They’re role is to teach and care for the young ones till they’re old enough to look after themselves. Despite this, they will never take the full parental role, unless the parents are unable to do so themselves. Fīda-ōkami (feeder wolf): Also known as hantā-ōkami (hunter wolf). They are charged with the responsibility for providing food for their pack, this can be by hunting, foraging, farming, or in some occasions trading goods in exchange for food. In some situations they will even prepare and cook meals for the pack. Kashikoi-ōkami (wise wolf): Consisiting of the wisest and most intelligent ōkami, their role is to offer up wisdom and strategies. They typically advice the rīdā-ōkami, but can just as easily offer it to others. Though most of the kashikoi-ōkami are typically elder wolves, regardless of the ōkami’s age, they can befome an kashikoi provided they can solve some riddles given to them by the other elder. They must answer 3/5 riddles correctly to be able to join. Okuri-ōkami (sending wolf): Also known as guiding wolf, they will often help guide travels back home.In Japanese folklore, okuriōkami (escort wolf) would follow and help guide travelers back home. Typically unharmed, unless they sensed malevolent intentions. * In other legends, they will follow a traveler, and only attack if the traveler trips up. If they sense malevolent intentions from the traveler, they will rip out their throat. Rīdā-ōkami (leader wolf): Also referred to as alpha or leader. They are the leaders of the pack, with at least one leader, but can have up to two. They tend to spend most days playing the role of piece keeper and ensuring other pack members are fulfilling their duty. When selecting a new leader, anyone can put themselves forward, but they must be able to complete various challenge set by the elders. Most of these challenges involve how to solve a dispute between two pack members, what are the most ideal hunting grounds. Senshi-ōkami (warrior wolf): They are the protects of the pack, going so far as to fight to the last stand if their reason is just. During the time that new pups are due, they will guard the mother(s) with their lives. And when the pups are born, they will bring offerings (mostly food) to the mother(s) to ensure a better chances of survival. Itsupiki-ōkami (lone wolf): Also known as lone ōkami or lone wolf. Unlike the other roles, the lone ōkami does not serve any purpose. They are simply a ōkami without a pack. The reasons can vary, such as having lost their pack, being banished, or simply preferring to be alone. As such, they tend to somewhat differ to other ōkami, from the way they dress to the way they act. And is quite common for them to become mercenary for hire. The best way to tell why they are a itsupiki-ōkam is by how they look or act. If the ōkami lacks a pack marking or simply actively search for their own pack or to join another, then they have lost their pack. If the ōkami has been banished from their pack, is by the fact the pack mark has been clawed out and their markings turned purple. While a ōkami who simply prefers to be alone will often travel alone, and tend to avoid large crowds. They also tend to have grey or black markings. Traditions: As Common names: Names will often mean: wolf, strong, protect or guardian. Last name: *As Racial traits: Attribute score: Agility +2, strength +2 Age: Ōkami are considered adults at the age of 20, and can live up to thousands of years. Classification: Yōkai Alignment: Valuing compassion and honour, they are filled with the desire to protect others, thus they are naturally lawfully good. In some rare cases they can be lawfully natural. Size: * Humanoid form: Medium, ranging between 00 - 00 cm (0’0” - 0’0”) tall * Wolf form: Medium, ranging between 00 - 00 cm (0’0” - 0’0”) tall Speed: * Humanoid form: 15 metres per turn * Wolf form: 18 metres per turn Sight: Binocular vision: humanoid 220° (50°, 110°, 50°), wolf 240° (90°, 60°, 90°) Bright 12 metres, Regular 85 metres, Dim 65 metres, Darkness 30 metres Hearing: * Quiet noise: Facing 15 metres, Perpendicular 10 metres, Away 5 metres * Normal noise: Facing 30 metres, Perpendicular 20 metres, Away 10 metres * Loud noise: Facing 60 metres, Perpendicular 40 metres, Away 20 metres Smell: * Faint scent: Regular 200 metres, Upwind 300 metres, Downwind 150 metres * Normal scent: Regular 500 metres, Upwind 600 metres, Downwind 300 metres * Strong scent: Regular 1000 metres, Upwind 1200 metres, Downwind 600 metres Racial abilities: Ōkami's brow:In one story, the wolf’s eyebrow, a man goes to the forest intending to be devoured by a wolf. When the wolf doesn’t, he asks why. The wolf releveals that they only eat animals disguised as humans. Apparently a wolf’s eyebrows show’s a persons true form. The wolf gives the man a hair, and when he begs for shelter at the nearest house, the old man is happy to, his wife not so much. When the man tests the hair, the woman is shown to be a cow. Bad or cruel people were compared to animals, or animals in human disguise. * The alternative story to the wolf’s eyebrows has the old man asking several wolves to eat him, all refusing. Finally, when he gets to the north wolf, they give him a hair, which he uses on his wife and fellow villages when he returns. His wife turns into a chicken, and the other villagers are various other animals. The old man ends up running away to live in the mountains. Allows the ōkami to see through any disguise, showing what they truly are. It also shows a person's true character, such as someone who is kind and caring, or someone who is cruel and manipulative. Those trying to hide their true form typically feel a spine tingling sensation. The player has an advantage on the wisdom or perception check, while the target may need to do a charisma or deception check. Canine's scent: Can track a regular scent from 500 metres away. However, because of their acute sense of smell, they can be easily overwhelmed in places with strong scents. Quadruple advantage on smells. Sharp Bite: Ōkami can bite a target much in the same way as a wolf, due to their sharp teeth they can easily pierce flesh. Biting does 1d6 +str# piercing damage. Languages: *Canish *Common *Lupish Typical attribute score: A guideline or baseline for ōkami characters. It is important to ensure that you include their racial attribute bonus, in this case agility +2 and strength +2. Points: (110/125) Endurance (endu), Health: 13/25 (+15%, +1) Mana (ma), Energy, Magic, Stamina: 12/20 (+10%, +1) Defence (def), Resistance, Resilience: 13/25 (+15%, +1) Agility (agi), Reflexes, Quickness: 13/25 +2 =15 (+25%, +2) Charisma (cha), Presence, Charm, Social: 13/20 (+15%, +1) Intelligence (int), Intellect, Mind, Knowledge: 12/20 (+10%, +1) Luck, Fate, Chance: 6/20 (-40%, -4) Strength (str), Might: 13/25 +2 = 15 (+25%, +2) Wisdom (wis), Spirit, Wits, Psyche, Sense: 15/20 (+25%, +2) Types: (00) As: As Sub-races: (00) As: As Trivia: Category:Races Category:Yōkai